Ok, my apologies for the long break, went out to run some errands.
Let's address your comment point by point, shall we?
Have I gone overseas? Yes I have, in fact I've been to Malaysia (JB counts, ok?), Thailand (even to the Golden Triangle and hence into Myanmar and Laos), China, S. Korea and Australia. Any questions about whether I've left Singapore before now?
Have I lived in countries with top GDPs and are cleaner and more peaceful, and even safer than Singapore? Unfortunately, no.
Have I been to sweden where the death penalty has been abolished but has managed to keep drugs away from the country as much as Singapore has? No, unless you really want to pay for my travel expenses, because my family is too darn poor/stingy(more of stingy, trust me on this) to travel far. Of course, I'd have to take your word that Sweden is just as drug-free as Singapore, which I will because it does have a reputation for being so.
Yes, I do agree that if anyone should be hanged, it should be the drug lords. But how do you discount the fact that the drug traffickers contribute to the problem as well? I see the death penalty as a deterrent. It serves to deter would-be drug traffickers from smuggling drugs into Singapore. If no one is willing to bring drugs into a certain country, wouldn't that help the drug situation as well? Since the aim is to stop drugs from entering, targetting the traffickers would be the most effective method , although everyone wants to nab the drug lords (but most drug lords aren't dumb enough to do the smuggling themselves). We can all see that Nguyen is a pawn, but he chose to be a pawn. Sure, his family was in debt, his twin had incurred legal fees to a drug syndicate. There are always options as to how he could have repaid the debt, but he chose the quicket and the most dangerous one available. He must have know, SIngapore is notorious for hanging traffickers. As long as there are poor and desperate people, there will always be people willing to do something like this. Sure, yes, there will be willing people. That's something every country will have to address, to make sure that people aren't so desperate to do something so stupid like traffick drugs.
Nguyen had a choice, but he sadly chose the wrong one. His intentions may have started off being good, but his actions were horrible. To sacrifice thousands of lives to save one is something I find repugnant. I'm sorry that you think that it was okay for him to do that, but I personally don't.
Your example about Sweden might have been flawed too. Yes, Sweden is relatively drug free. But have you ever considered Singapore's proximity to the Golden Triangle? Singapore's key geographical position + proximity to the Golden Triangle makes it a hotspot for drugs to pass to and fro, hence the need to send a clear message to traffickers. Moreover, statistics show that the drug problem is starting to worsen in Sweden, sure, it's still relatively drug-free as compared to other countries, but it is starting to worsen. So how do we know that the Swedes are doing it right? Even if they are, replicating their policies here may not have the same effect. DId the ERP in the UK eliminate the problem of road congestion there? The effects the UK experienced with regards to something as minor as the ERP was different from what Singapore experienced, this only serves to show that replicating another country's policies might not yield the desired results. You have to take into consideration the circumstances of that country. So even if other countries managed to battle their drug problems without the death penalty, it doesn't necessarily mean what they do will work in Singapore.
And I do read the papers, thats how I know SIngapore was called a "rouge Chinese port" by one of Australia's politicians. SO don't assume I don't read the papers just because I'm young. I grew up reading the papers. Howard did say something about respecting the laws of other countries, but he doesn't represent the views of all Australians. Although some do, others don't. I'm currently nursing a headache so I obviously haven't gone in full detail about your comments... which I won't because it is a challenge being polite in this reply after your somewhat offensive-sounding comments. And about my point in Australia not respecting the laws of other countries, there are newspaper articles to illustrate that and on the hypocrisy on Australia's part when it comes to the death penalty. Of course you have your POV and I have mine, and they obviously come into conflict. So don't come back and till me to read the papers, 'cause I have.
I'm a 3rd year student in what is probably the largest autonomous university in Singapore majoring in a Science-related subject (well it sorta IS SCIENCE). I'm known to be introverted, sarcastic (at times), funny when I rant (which isn't a good thing lol) and somewhat of a loner. I miss LA and would move there in a heartbeat :(
